"Night Funeral in Harlem" is set at night during the funeral of a young black man who has died under suspicious circumstances. Hughes deliberately sets this funeral at night as a way to signal that the community the boy lives in is comprised of working-class people who are busy working during the day. As the community gathers to mourn the death of a young man, Hughes doesn't just depict a funeral. He also shows how the community in Harlem (where the funeral is taking place) interacts with each other and how they deal with the lot they were given in life.
The very first lines of the poem explore the very prescient question of who paid for the boy's funeral. Hughes mentions that the community banded together their scarce resources so the boy could have a proper funeral and burial. Without them, nothing would have happened. Beyond the evident hardship the boy's parents had to endure, these lines are also a testament to the community's solidarity. Even in death, the residents come together to help one of their own, showcasing tremendous unity and responsibility in a community without many financial resources to work with.
Amid the grieving, Hughes introduces a group of young girls in dresses. This reinforces the sadness of the boy's death; the young girls are full of vim and vigor and have quite a long life left to live. The juxtaposition of life (through the portrayal of the girls) and death makes the funeral scene even more poignant; it underscores the unpredictability involved with living in Harlem.
Finally, the preacher talks about heaven. Amid the tragedy of the boy's death, the preacher talks about hope and looking to the future. For many of the people in the community, faith is a refuge. A way for them to escape the mundanity of their daily life.
